Cnut Longsword

Cnut was a Danish Viking leader during the 9th century and the cousin and rival of Ragnar Ragnarsson.

Biography
Cnut was the maternal cousin of Ragnar Ragnarsson, and he joined his cousin at Dunholm in England during the 890s, intending on making his wealth in Wessex. Cnut was jealous of his cousin due to his marriage to the warrior Brida, whom Cnut coveted, and he was also rivals with Ragnar's adoptive brother Uhtred of Bebbanburg, calling him "Dane-slayer", even while Ragnar was vouching for him. Uhtred later left his brother due to his alliance with the greedy Sigurd Bloodhair and Hastein, as well as due to Cnut's insistence that he was not a Dane, and Cnut took part in the ensuing march on Mercia. He later convinced Aethelwold Aetheling to murder Ragnar in his sleep, telling Aethelwold that Ragnar intended to kill him soon; Cnut wanted to take Brida for himself, and his open requests to bed her were rebuffed. Ultimately, Ragnar was murdered along with his lover in his tent, and his death was blamed on his lover. However, Brida told Cnut that either he or Bloodhair was responsible for Ragnar's death.